24 September 2008
Monrovia — Thousands of young girls annually prepare for their initiation into a women's secret association, Sande Society, which operates mostly in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.
As part of their initiation, young women take a vow of secrecy after weeks of training in the forest, promising not to not tell uninitiated girls or men what happens to them, to assume new names, and to have their clitorises cut off - known as female
genital mutilation (FGM) - according to women in the secret society.
About half of Liberia's some 16 ethnic groups, including the Bassa, Mende, Gola and Kissi, observe the rules of this historically-secret, centuries-old society.
One Mende member from Tubmanburg, Western Liberia, who asked not to be named, told IRIN removing a girl's clitoris helps her become a "prolific child bearer."
Another member, 42-year-old Jebbeh Sonneh, explained to IRIN, "Those who perform such [FGM] acts are typically elderly women in the community designated for the task, or traditional birth attendants."
Secrecy shrouds outreach
Sociologist Theo Kerkulah at the University of Liberia in Monrovia says even though the practice of rural forest initiations is common in Liberia, it is not openly discussed. "It is a difficult topic to teach. Most girls who joined the society are now in the classroom and never feel happy when you talk about it in the open. They feel [it is a betrayal]. Perhaps because of the myths that are associated with it."
Kerkulah says the girls are bound by secrecy vows and the time they spend together in the forest where they undergo training to enter adulthood, learning domestic skills and moral lessons.
The lecturer told IRIN many girls believe the spirit of Sande, the guardian of women, guides them into and during adulthood.
Monrovia-based medical researcher Deddeh Siah says physical pain is an additional factor binding the young girls, "In some Sandes [initiates], not only is her genitalia removed, the student is marked [cut] so that large scars remain on the skin of the initiate for life."
She estimates about 5,000 puberty-aged adolescents join the group every year, either by force or choice.
Culture can kill
Sandes are a part of Liberia's cultural heritage, says Jomo Weah who works at a government-run culture centre in Kendeja, on the outskirts of Monrovia. "We cannot stop it. It is our culture. We can only intervene by allowing them to go about doing it when the girls are on school break."
Local civil society groups including Girls Movement for Education have tried to discourage parents from allowing their girls to join Sande Society.
Government health worker Mary Mah says FGM is killing hundreds of girls in Liberia every year. "Over 20 percent of the initiates die from excessive bleeding after their clitoris has been removed."
Mah told IRIN if excessive pain and extreme bleeding do not kill the girls, FGM can scar or disfigure her for life. "Risk of serious potentially life-threatening complications [include] ongoing bleeding, infection including HIV, urine retention, stress, shock...[and] psychological trauma."
Catherine Watson Khasu, an elected leader in Grand Cape Mount County in Western Liberia, about 140 km from Monrovia, dismisses these risks, "People have said all sorts of things against our cultural heritage, which are not true. I am a member of the Sande [Society] and I'm proud of it. There is nothing harmful about the Sande."
She told IRIN the government and human rights organisations should respect the tradition of Liberia's indigenous groups, "We know the [1989-2003 civil] war did a lot of damage to our country, but that does not mean we should desecrate our traditional shrines."
[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations ]
Read comments. Write your own.
Copyright © 2008 UN Integrated Regional Information Networks. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
It is mind boggling that even an elected official thinks that mutilating little girls is a good thing. Of course, it is defended under the guise of “culture” and “tradition”. Okay, lets talk about a few “cultures” and “traditions”, both from with in and without Africa. How about slavery? It has an ancient tradition, and many cultures were built around slave labor, and/or the money made by dealing in human life. Will they defend this? Should it be allowed in Liberia today? How about a sovereign king who has absolute power of life and death at his whim? Perhaps they should have one now, so that he can give his blessing to the mutilation of children. Oh, and let us not forget a rigid caste system, which dictates what you may or may not be allowed to do in life. If you’re born into a family of scrap pickers, than that is all you will ever be allowed to be, no matter your talent(s) or mental ability. Another great tradition in virtually all cultures for most of the history of mankind would be one that Catherine Khasu must love : Complete male domination of everything. No need for and female to go to school, or to even dream of doing anything besides doing what her man tells her, and if he doesn’t like it, well, another great tradition is the ability to beat or kill her with impunity. Yes, cultures and traditions have their place in the world, but where civilized people reside, they know to throw off the vestiges of ignorance and pure, unadulterated foolishness. Apparently, Grand Mount County is no where near civilized, and is run by sadistic barbarians.
Most of us Liberians are only good at crticizing and offer no alternative solution to the problem they critcize. FGM has been practiced for centuries and it is part of our people's culture. And let me point here that I am in know way saying it's the right thing to do. What our leaders need to do is make laws that will deterred people from practicing FGM or if they continue, then it should be perform clinically. I think there should be a law that will leave children to decide for themselves and not their parents. An education process should be initiated discretely to educate girls about not only the bad side of FGM but also the good side if their is any. There are a lots of secret societies around the world, and in democracies such as the USA, people are left to join on their own accord, like for example the KKK. Ex-members of the KKK don't go public exposing the secrets of the clan. I am a proud Cape Mountainian that believes in democracy. I refuse for my three little girls to be initiated in Sande (Where FGM is performed) because I believe it is a decision that they should make themselves when they mature enough to make their own decisions. This is what we all should do to educate our people in the rural areas who thinks the practice of FGM is a cultural stigma.
To all those who do not know: FGM is practiced all over Africa ( I mean in every African country), in the Middle East, and parts of Eastern Europe. So dont make it sound like an entirely Liberian problem/evil.
hi To all Liberians There is somethings I saw on the internet. and I just don't believe it. when I was little my mom use to tell me about this, I still not believe it. What is wrong with you people. why are you guys doing this king uh stuff to the young girls and men in Liberia. That is so not good. don't you guys know that lot of people from around the world read your websit everyday and Night. I don't understand, why will people do that kind of stuff. this is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo not gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What the hell is Secret Association. When the girls and men go in there,and you people said they shouldn't tell anyone what they did in there. This sucks. I'm sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo angry to hear about this. How people going to take Liberia to be? You guys need to answer that.